Holdback attachment for thills.



PATENTBD JULY 30, 1907.

, 0. B. GL EV,ELAND. HOLDBAOK ATTACHMENT FOR THILLS.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 12 1906 asawfl 'len'lami,

[NVEN TOR A TTORNE Y5 OSCAR B. CLEVELAND, OF ANTHONY, KANSAS.

HOLDBAGK ATTAOI-HVIENT FOR TI-IILLS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1907.

Application f ed June 12,1906- Serial No. 321,395.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Osean B. CLEVELAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Anthony, in the county of Harper and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Holdback Attachment for Thills, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to holdback attachments for thills, and has for its object to improve the construction and increase the efficiency and utility of devices of this character.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the nature of the improvement is better understood, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which corresponding parts are denoted by like designating characters, is illustrated the preferred form of the embodiment of the invention capable of carrying the same into practical operation, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a thill with the improved device applied thereto, the latter being partly in section. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the improved device applied to the thill, the latter being in section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the swinging latch, detached.

Two of the improved devices are employed, one upon each thill, but as they are precisely alike one only is shown for illustration.

The improved device comprises a base 10 having means such as bolts 1l12 or similar devices for attaching the same to the thills, a portion of one of which is represented at 13. Rising from the base 10 near its ends are standards 1415, the standard 14 disposed toward the rear of whifl'le tree end of the thill and preferably inclined forwardly, or toward the outer end of the thills. Pivoted at 1.6 to the standard 14 is a latch member formed with a depending portion 17 having a central longitudinal recess bearing upon opposite sides of the standard 14, and a forwardly extending portion 18 bearing over the forward standard 15.

The standard 15 is about equal in length to the width of the holdback-strap represented at 19, so that in event of any forward movement of the loop of the strap 19, caused by the slacking up of the holdback, or from other cause, the strap will not release the latch by contact with its forward portion 18. This is an important feature of the invention and adds materially to its value and efficiency, and also materially increases the safety and security of the device, as will be obvious.

The latch portion 17 bearing over the inner face and the side faces of the standard 15, protectsthe same and confines the wear and friction to the relatively extensive surface of the portion 17. The wear being thus confined almost entirely to the latch member, in event of undue wear of the same, this member can be renewed at small expense and without discarding the more expensive and bulky base portion 10 and its standards 14-15. The free end 20 of the portion 18 of the latch bearing upon the standard 15, thus assists in holding the latch in position, and receives a portion of the strains and thus relieves the standard 14 from a portion of the strain.

The free end 20 of the forwardly projecting portion of the latch, is flush with the forward face of the standard 15, so that no projecting parts occur upon which objects may catch and accidentally release thelat'ch.

The device is simple in construction, can be inexpensively manufactured, and applied to thills of various sizes and forms.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:-

A device of the class described comprising a base memher having two terminal standards,- one of which is disposed substantially at right angles to the base member and is relatively short, and the other of which is disposed at an angle to the base member and is relatively long, and a latch member having a cleft portion to straddle the longerstandard and being pivotally connected thereto, and having an arm to bear upon the shorter standard, the inner face of the cleft portion of the latch being rounded to prevent abrasion of the element engaging it.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

OSCAR B. CLEVELAND.

Witnesses BEN. B. EVANS, P. O. I-IIiRoLD. 

